Recruitment, retention and resignation among Non-Career Firefighters
International Journal of Emergency Services
ISSN: 2047-0894
Article publication date: 26 August 2020
Issue publication date: 6 April 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of literature about recruitment, retention and resignation among non-career firefighters.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review was conducted to identify factors associated with the recruitment, retention and resignation of non-career firefighters. The authors divided the results into three topics and four levels for further analysis.
Findings
27 articles are included in the review. Most research addresses retention at an organizational level and indicates a link between job satisfaction and factors such as supervisor support, recognition and close relationships within the workgroup. Further, a recurring reason that contributes to resignations seems to be family related (e.g. partner disapproval).
Research limitations/implications
There is a lack of European and Asian research into non-career firefighters. The included research papers generally have low response rates and the sample is often mostly male and Caucasians from a limited area.
Practical implications
The identified factors offer deeper understanding and can help practitioners in their pursuit of the sustainable retention of non-career firefighters.
Originality/value
Because securing adequate numbers of non-career firefighters is important, there is a need to synthesize current evidence to identify and further understand which factors contribute to retention. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first systematic review to synthesize such evidence about non-career firefighters.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The research in this paper is conducted as a part of the Research School for Doctoral Students within the Swedish Rescue Services, established and funded by Brandforsk (The Swedish Fire Research Foundation) and the MSB (The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency). The first author would like to thank her employer, Räddningstjänsten Västra Blekinge (West Blekinge Fire and Rescue Service), for giving her the opportunity to pursue the studies as part of her work.
Citation
Lantz, E. and Runefors, M. (2021), "Recruitment, retention and resignation among Non-Career Firefighters", International Journal of Emergency Services, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 26-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJES-02-2020-0009
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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